Just a Housewife – by Ekta Shah

With so much of hustle-bustle in a crowded city, I am relaxing on the couch with a hot cup of coffee, watching my favorite show without any worry for next few hours. No stress to eat in a jiffy, no concern for messy hairs, crushed kurta seems to be okay.

A life of a bindass homemaker!

Really, is it so? I am sure in most of the cases people think the same way that life of a homemaker moms or wives is just to enjoy at its best. When everyone is running to achieve their monthly targets, a line of perfection, driving down in between heavy traffic, mundane cacophony all around and here is we so cool and calm, with no monthly budgets, no boss to frown at, and no running errands.

Yes, we are the ones who don’t get paid for our work. We are not the ones who don’t bring regular bank credit to our accounts. And of course, we are the ones, who are most of the times a part of thankless jobs.

I really doubt in this modern era of financial independence where we stay -at -mom stands for?

Ten days back, amidst the season of viral fever, my younger one also got caught with it. Children falling sick are the biggest nightmare for parents and especially for Moms. She is 5 years and can understand few things which she needs to take care of. I got an extra task to fulfilling her needs and how to satisfy her taste buds which had gone worst with the medicines. Soon after she recovered my husband got it. But still things were very much on track and I have managed them both without much of difficulty.

Then it was my turn and I was completely drained out for three days. But those three days were not the mundane ones. They all felt the brunt of homemaker falling sick. The kitchen was empty and they managed what they could with little time and energy. The most affected were my elder kid and her school snacks boxes. Thank God they have a canteen in their school and I could survive myself of not feeling guilty without cooking. Clothes were not put into the washing machine and even if put then not for drying. All rooms looked like a cyclone hit area where everything was strewn and no one bothered. The kitchen was like a big storm which has passed by few minutes back and turned it to the most unorganized section of the home.

With that period I realized that everything can be taken care without any efforts until the Mom takes a temporary break if she falls sick! Stay-at-home-moms are one of those Jobs of building blocks or connecting households which were never appreciated in past and applauded for their duties. Even now they are always considered as “For granted” and people take it easy with no sense of thanking them. In an earlier era, there was the time where women were less engaged in balancing financial burden of a family. Reasons could be many, it could be because of less exposure, fewer expenses, and limited resources. Now the time has changed and surely a role of a woman has changed drastically. She is everywhere and touching new heights every day.

But with this race and expectations, stay–at-home-moms are put behind the saga of thankless jobs.

I am sorry; if you think we have the luxury to live style like a queen then please watch them closely for a day. They are as busy as someone in the office and toiling hard to get things arranged for others. The never ending chores which hardly let us wash our face and holding ourselves to maximum even to pee so that we can balance the demand and supply chain of everyone around.

Still just to clarify few raised brows:

No morning stress to run! She has a set alarm for each day which she cannot even snooze. Because of every minute counts in the morning and the saga of winning over unlimited chores of making a breakfast, get others ready, dropping children to school and so on. And of course husband too, with a lunch bag which they take pride to carry with them and the satisfaction they get after so called-Ghar ka khana!

So what you will be free after that? Another set of question. What do you after that and so long hours? My dearies, can you sit once the storm hit your home every morning. This is what happens when they all go out. Maintaining all on daily basis is really a tedious job and tiring too.

You have the luxury to sit and sip your coffee with your favorite show! Ha! Big deal, where is the time to sip a tea and watch television. Our priority is not to sit and watch but to finish those deadlines which have been set for us and that too on an hourly basis. Have you ever wondered how come you get you all your formals so well kept in the cupboard and you just take few seconds to pick one out of many? Washing, drying, ironing it all does take time and I have not hired any part-time fairy to do all this for me just for the good cause. And the relaxing spick-and –span house with so much of delicious food every day.

At least you can take an afternoon nap! Yes, of course, I do crave for it daily if I could but what’s the guarantee that the next generation batch (our children) will allow you to even wink. They are trained so beautifully that they will take pleasure to sleep in any off hour but for Moms, they are almost the super active for that period. I wish if any fairy could take them for an hour to any park so that I can really take a nap. Phew!

We have the luxury to eat hot served food. Alas! I wish this could be possible and I can really have this luxury but those unlimited intervals of Pees and other stories which fall right in between when a mom sits on the dining table. By the time you are back on your table to eat, all turns to cold and old like a day old food which is being served on your plate.

These are just a few things which are routine for every Mom and its not at all an easy way to dedicate your entire time just for others. It also needs courage and love to shower on others with no expectations. So let’s appreciate them and bring the happiness as a whole!

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